Visionary art is described as work produced by self-taught individuals without formal training, whose creations arise from a compulsion or personal vision. OFF THE MAP presents the works of ten untrained, visionary artists from around the world who have created their very own “backyard paradise” in unique and sometimes bizarre ways.
Interactive Knowledge designed and produced this online exhibition of visionary art for ITVS, in partnership with the American Visionary Art Museum. Launched in 2005, this site has become popular with many experts in the field, but also has a devoted following of designers, artists and people who like to use the Internet to create and share their own art.
With guidance from the museum, IK sought out and gathered visionary artwork from many sources, including the artists and individual collectors. The artists’ biographies are available as HTML or as Flash interactives that include a slideshow of the artwork, a video interview or a location tour.
Site visitors have an opportunity to produce their own unique art in a section titled, “Create Your Own Backyard Paradise,” where they can choose from 15 backgrounds and over 200 items organized in drawers to make their own backyard paradise. In addition, there are four tools available to manipulate the objects – resize, rotate, flip and change transparency. Visitors who build their own backyard paradise can email it to friends and/or submit it to PBS for possible inclusion in the “Backyard Gallery.”
